In a typical electrostatographic reproducing apparatus, a light image of an original to be copied can be recorded in the form of an electrostatic latent image upon a photosensitive member or a photoconductor (i.e., drum), and the latent image is subsequently rendered visible by the application of electroscopic particles, such as thermoplastic resin, and colorants. Generally, the electrostatic latent image is developed by contacting it with a developer mixture. The developer mixture can include a dry developer mixture, which can include carrier granules having toner particles, which may adhere to the latent image through triboelectric charging, or a liquid developer material which may include a liquid carrier having toner particles dispersed therein. The developer material is advanced into contact with the electrostatic latent image, and the toner particles are deposited onto the latent image to develop the image.
Once formed on the photoconductor, the toner image is transferred to an intermediate transfer belt (ITB). Subsequently, the developed image is transferred from the ITB to a permanent substrate, such as a sheet of plain paper, plastic, etc. The toner image is typically fixed or fused upon the permanent substrate through the application of heat and pressure to the toner and substrate.
One consideration for ITB production is manufacturing costs. One approach for achieving a low cost target is to reduce the cost of raw materials. ITBs can be manufactured, for example, using a base material of polyimide and an electrically conductive filler of carbon black. However, a low cost ITB tends to have low performance which can result in reduced image quality and poor ITB durability. Other problems found with low performance products include excessive wear, belt creep which can lead to misaligned image colors, and chemical or environmental damage resulting from image forming chemicals or harsh environmental conditions within the device. Thus the production of a ITB having a good balance between cost and performance is an ongoing engineering design goal.